Smoking is cause of 5 million annual deaths

The World Health Organization has recently come out with a statement about the death toll from smoking and the shocking fact is that about five million are expected to die from tobacco-related illnesses and that this figure will nearly double by the year 2020. We are glad to note that some sectors of our society are responding to this major health threat.

First and foremost, we must commend Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay who as far as October of 2004 moved for the effective implementation of the National Regulation Act of 2003 towards a "Smoke-free" Philippines by requesting the Department of Health to make Makati the pilot area for the establishment of "smoking cessation centers". Binay strongly believes that the setting up of such centers will be necessary and should therefore be a must to the government’s efforts to regulate smoking in order to protect the health of our people. Right now, the only contribution to the government’s war against smoking are the signs that say "Smoking is dangerous to your health." The irony about these signs is they always accompany the ads that urge the people to smoke. The worst part is that smokers believe that any public place without a sign that says "No Smoking" is automatically a smoking area. We happen to be asthmatic and one of our allergies is tobacco smoke. It is a known fact that tobacco smoke exhaled by smokers is even more harmful than tobacco smoke inhaled directly from a cigar or cigarette. Yet many smokers smoke in the presence of non-smokers. The British conductor Thomas Becham was once asked if he minded if someone smoked in a non-smoking compartment. His classic reply was, "Certainly not – if you don’t object if I’m sick."

Earlier we praised Makati Mayor Binay for his efforts to pioneer in the establishment of "smoking cessation centers" in his city. We would also like to commend the president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System Winston F. Garcia for implementing Section 24 of Republic Act No. 8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999) prohibiting smoking inside public buildings. The Act says, first, smoking is harmful to the health of both smokers and non-smokers who passively breathe second-hand smoke. Two, smoking is a major fire hazard. Third and last, smoking reduces the time executives and employees devote to the performance of their tasks and duties. So he has banned smoking in all GSIS buildings and office premises. As an accommodation to smokers, they will be permitted to smoke in open spaces outside the building but only between 12 noon and 1 p.m. We hope that all government buildings adopt Winston F. Garcia’s policy for the GSIS.

King James I of England wrote what we personally feel about smoking. He said:

A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to
The nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to
The lungs, and in the black, stinking fume
Thereof, nearest resembling the horrible
Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.